NEW DELHI// Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday evening for a three-day state visit to India.
He is the chief guest at the country’s 2017 Republic Day celebrations, which run from January 24 to 26.
Prime minister Narendra Modi personally received Sheikh Mohammed at the airport. The two leaders warmly embraced each other in what appeared to be a clear sign that India and the UAE are set to cement their strategic partnership during this visit. That could lead to increased bilateral cooperation in trade, energy supplies, defence and internal security-related matters.
A military contingent from the UAE will march in the Republic Day parade on January 26.
“Tomorrow is the official day of the visit. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed would be received at the forecourts of Rashtrapati Bhawan [Presidential Palace] where he will be given the ceremonial guard of honour. Tomorrow, he will also have a one-on-one meeting with the prime minister, which would be followed by delegation level talks at the Hyderabad House, where the prime minister and his cabinet team would be present,” said Amar Sinha, the secretary (economic relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs.
This, he said, will be followed by one-on-one meetings with India’s vice president, Mohammad Hamid Ansari, and the president, Pranab Mukherjee. On Wednesday, the prime minister will host a banquet lunch for Sheikh Mohammed, while the president will host the dinner banquet in his honour at the Presidential Palace.
India and the UAE could sign up to 16 agreements during the state visit. Among them would be a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement to set the tone for future dialogues, the officials said.
Sheikh Mohammed is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes the Minister of Economy, Sultan Al Mansouri, other ministers, senior officials and captains of industry.
Mr Sinha said the UAE is the fifth-largest crude oil exporter to India and is set to remain a key partner.
“We are adding a new element to this relationship. The UAE has decided to become our strategic partner in the energy sector and will be both investing and filling up one of our strategic petroleum reserves,” said Mr Sinha.
Last week, the first India-UAE “strategic dialogue” was held in New Delhi, co-chaired by Dr Anwar Gargash, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and M J Akbar, India’s minister of state for external affairs.
They discussed a number of issues ranging from cooperation in the areas of trade and investments to expanding the bilateral cooperation and new areas under the strategic partnership, including in areas of energy security and renewable energy, defence and security, electronics and information technology and space.
This will be the second visit of the Crown Prince to India since February last year. Bilateral ties have been on the upswing since Mr Modi’s official visit to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in August 2015.
“The two leaders are on course since then to elevate the relationship of their countries. UAE investments into Indian infrastructure development and anti-terrorism cooperation are the key areas of the expanding ties. On terror cooperation, the UAE has been very cooperative and prevented some of the Indian diaspora groups from joining the IS in Syria. There is high quality of intelligence cooperation between the two countries. Indian Islamist terror groups like Islamic Jihad and SIMI can no more use the territory of the Emirates for safe refuge, raising funds or transit,” Prasad Nallapati, the president of the Centre for Asia-Africa Policy Research, told The National.
India and the UAE have been among each other’s top trading partners, with bilateral trade of about US$50 billion (Dh184bn) in 2015 and 2016. The UAE is one of the leading investors in India in terms of foreign direct investments. It contributes significantly to India’s energy security and was the fifth-largest supplier of crude oil to India in those years.
During Sheikh Mohammed’s last state visit to India, the UAE had expressed its interest in investing in infrastructure development in the country, including railways, roads, ports and shipping. At the time, Mr Modi and Sheikh Mohammed welcomed the opening of D P World’s “smart port” Nhava Sheva in Mumbai and signed an agreement to expand the participation of Emirati investors in infrastructure projects in India.
Both sides described these developments as important steps towards reaching the $75bn target for UAE investments in India’s infrastructure development plans.
There are 2.6 million Indians in the UAE, forming the country’s largest expatriate community.
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THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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The specs: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
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Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
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Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
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2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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THE TWIN BIO
Their favourite city: Dubai
Their favourite food: Khaleeji
Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach
Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
